Adjustable leg rest assembly for wheel chairs



May 28, 1957 B. s. DUKE 2,793,682

ADJUSTABLE LEG REST ASSEMBLY FOR WHEEL CHAIRS Filed May 11, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N V EN TOR. fier/za'rcf S fluke May 28, 1957 V B. s. DUKE ADJUSTABLE LEG REST ASSEMBLY FOR WHEEL CHAIRS Filed May 11, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .7 6 8 16 14 y nllml INKENTOR. 36712070 5 6.00156 Afforrzqq BY XWZQ United States Patent O ADJUSTABLE LEG REST ASSEMBL FOR WHEEL CHAIRS Bernard S. Duke, Chicago, 111., assign onby mesne assignments to Institutional Industries, Inc., a corporation of Ohio This invention relates generally to invalid wheel chairs and more particularly, relates to a novel adjustable leg rest for wheel chairs.

A further object is to provide such an attachment that is made in right and left units which may be operated or adjusted individually with practically no effort on the part of the operator. Another object is to provide an adjustable foot and leg rest for wheel chairs that is selfv locking in any adjusted position but readily releasable from locked position for further adjustrnentand one wherein the weight of the leg and/ or foot supported contributes to the etficiency of the locking mechanism.

With the foregoing and. other objects in view the invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, defined in the claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of this disclosure.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a collapsible wheel chair provided with the instant attachment which is shown in a lowered position.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the attachment in raised and extended position.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged front elevational view of the foot and leg rest attachment, detached from the chair.

Fig. 4 is a view of the attachment when rotated to a position at right angles to Fig. 3, one end of the attachment being in an altered position.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary inverted view of Fig. 4. a Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the attachment taken approximately on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5, in locked position.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but in unlocked position.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal-cross-sectional view through Fig. 4 on the line 8-8.

Generally, leg rest devices installed at the front of a wheel chair and movable in a vertical plane to various positions of use are well known. This invention is concerned. with novel means for achieving adjustment in such positions and locking the leg rest device in any selected position in a more simple and economical manner. Further, it is contemplated that the invention may be employed universally with wheel chairs having adjustable leg rest devices. In the drawings the reference numeral 1 denotes the frame, generally, of a collapsible or folding wheel chair having front legs 2, a seat 3 and an angular substantially vertical front leg portion 4 extending forwardly of each chair front leg proper at a point 5 below the seat 3.

The attachment includes a straight tubular leg 6 formed in its lower end with a short longitudinal slot 7, the inner end of which is enlarged slightly, said leg telescopically receiving the smaller tube 8 which is releasably retained in adjusted position within said leg by the bolt 9 and nut 10, said bolt connecting the spaced ears 11, 11 formed upon leg 6 upon opposite sides of said slot 7. Integral with said tube member 8 and disposed at right an- 2 gles thereto is the shank 12 of the adjustable foot rest 13. Secured to the leg 6 by bed plate 14 formed with integral bracket members 15 connected by bolts 16 is the leg rest 17.

Secured adjustably to the upper end of said leg 6 by bolt 19 pivotally and nut is the hollow bracket 20 the free opposite end of said bracket being shaped complementary to the front chair leg periphery for snug fitting, but free, engagement therewith.

Integral with or welded to one end of the bracket 20 at right angles thereto is the tubular extension 21 terminating in the 'U-shaped angularly disposed clamp 22 for application to the chair leg portion 4 and releasably retained in engagement therewith by the screw bolt 23 and nut. Adjustably secured to the said extension 21 by a bolt 23' is the handle 24 of angular shape having a slightly enlarged portion through which said bolt 23 passes, said bolt having, one end of the coil spring 25 bearing thereupon, inside said handle, said spring also bearing upon an angular or L-shaped rod 26 extending through opposed perforations 27, 28 in said handle at right angles to said bolt 23', said perforations 27, 28 being of slightly greater diameter than rod 26, said rod passing also through a cup-shaped plunger 29 Within said handle, said plunger being of slightly less diameter than the inner diameter of said hollow handle, said plunger surrounding the lower end of said spring, said-rod 26 having one end pivotally received in a tubular spur 30 of said attachment leg 6. r

In Fig. 1 the attachment is shown in lowered position with the bracket members 15 and bolts 16 resting against the chair leg portion 4. p

The rod is locked in place when the longitudinal axis thereof is angularly offset relative to a line through the geometrical centers of the perforations 2.7, 28, by reason of the binding of rod 26 with the walls of said perforations. The spring 25 serves to bias the rod 26 in a direction to align said rod with the line passing through the geometrical centers of said perforations. Rearward movement of the handle 24 achieves the necessary alignment of said rod and perforations to eliminate the binding action therebetween and unlock said rod. In this position the chair occupant may rest his foot upon the foot rest and his leg against the now substantially vertically disposed leg rest.

To move the attachment to raised position, shown in Fig. 2, the chair occupant manually moves the handle 24 slightly rearwardly to relieve spring tension and with or without assistance from another person the attachment is manually raised. Whether the attachment is manually raised to completely elevated position or to any intermediate position it will be locked the instant the handle is released and the attachment will be locked in suchposition in secure manner and it may easily supporttheleg of the chair occupant upon the leg rest. When the handle is again retracted the attachment will move by gravity to the lowered position, Fig. 1. With the leg of the occupant of the chair upon the leg rest the weight then borne by the attachment will more securely lock the attachment parts in adjusted position, bracing the attachment against the chair front leg portion 4.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a front leg of a. wheel chair, an attachment leg, a bracket pivotally secured to one end of said attachment leg in engagement with the chair front leg, an extension carried by said bracket releasably secured to said chair front leg, a spur carried by said attachment leg adjacent said bracket, a hollow handle pivotally secured to said extension, said handle formed with opposed perforations, an L-shaped rod extending through said handle and said perforations and pivotally connected to said spur, said rod locked in place by its angularly olfset relationtoa line throughthe geometrical centers of said perforations, a spring in said handle bearing upon said handle pivot and said Lashaped rod yieldingly serving to bias said handle in its.unlocked p.osit ion, a cup shaped plunger carried bysaid rod encompassing .p'art'of said spring,said attachmentl'e'g movable ma'nually'from vertical to horizontarp'osition when said handleis' moved rear wardly to. alignsaidrod with said perforations "to'relieve the binding tension, said attachment legm'ov'a'ble byigravi ty when .saidhanclle is again retracted, .a leg rest carried by said attachment leg, an'dfafo'ofrest carried ;by said .2. In combination with"a front leg'of a wheel chair,

Cit

an attachment leg, abracketpivotally secured to "one end of "said attachment leg in enga'gen'rent 'with said chair front leg above the chair seat, anfexte'ns'ion' carrie'dby saidbracket relea'sably"'secured'toIsaid chair front leg below the .chair seat, 'aspur carried by said attachment leg adjacentsaicl bracket, a handlepa pivot connecting said handle to said extension, 'saidha'ndle formed with opposed perforations, an "II-shaped rod extending through said'handleand said perforations pivotally connected to said'spur, said'ro'd locked in place by its angularly 'otfset relation to'a line throughthe geometrical centers of said perforations, a spring in said handlebearing upon said handle pivot and said L'-shaped' rod yieldingly serving to bias said handle in its unlocked position, said attachment legmovable manually from verticalposition below the chair seat to horizontal position wholly above the chair seat when said handle is. moved rearwardly to align said rod withsaid perforations to relieve the binding action, said attachment leg movable by gravity when said handle is again retracted, and a leg rest carried by said attachment leg.

-3.-In'conibination with a front leg of a wheel chair, an attachment leg, a bracket pivotally secured to one end of said attachment leg ,in engagement with the chair front leg, an extension carried by said bracket releasably ;se cured t'o said chair front leg, a spur carried by said attachment ,leg *adjacentsaid bracket, a handle pivotally secured to said extension, said handle formed with opposedprforationS, an L=shaped rod extending through said perforations pivotally connected to said spur, said rod locked in placeby its angularly offset relation to a line through the geometrical centers of said perforations, a spring in said handle bearing upon said handle pivot and said L shaped rod yieldingly serving to bias said handle" in its unlocked position, said attachment leg movable from vertical position below the chair seat to horizontal position above the chair seat when said handle is moved rearwardly to align said rod with said perforations to relieve the binding action, said attachment leg movable by gravity when said handle is again retracted, and a leg rest carried by said attachment leg.

4. In a Wheel chair having a vertical, front support post and a leg rest assembly including a leg rest support post pivotally mounted at one end thereof on the chair to rotate in a vertical plane relative to said front support post, means for selectively adjusting the angular position of said leg rest post relative to said front support post comprising an elongate rigid rod pivotally connected at one end thereof to said leg rest support post, a lever pivotally mounted intermediate the ends thereof on said chair and having a passageway therethrough adjacent one end thereof substantially normal to the axis of pivot of said lever, the diameterofsaidpassageway'being slightly larger than the diameter of said rod, said rod being slidably received through said passageway with the opposite end of the rod arranged to the rear of said front support post, lever being movable between a position where the longitudinal axes of the rod and the said passageway are aligned to permit such sliding movement of the rod for selectively adjusting said angular position, to a position where the said longitudinal axes are in 'angularly offset relation to lock said rod against such sliding movement.

5. In a structure as described in claim 4 in which there are tension means installed between the pivotal axis of the lever and said rod arranged to. bias the lever to its unlocked position. v

6. In a structure as described in claim 5 in which said lever has an internal chamber and said tension means includes aspring in said chamber bearing against said lever pivot and rod.

7. In a wheel chair having a front support post, the combination of an adjustable leg rest assembly and means for selectively adjusting the angular position of said assembly relative to the said'support ,post, said assembly including a leg rest support post and a bracket pivotally connected end to end, said bracket adapted to be detach ably connected to said front support post, a bell-crank lever pivotally secured on said bracket having a passageway therethrough substantially normal to its 'axis of pivot, an elongate brace rod slidably received'through said passageway and rotatably engaged at one end thereof with said leg rest support post,'the opposite end 'of the lever being disposed within convenient reach of the chair occupant, the axes of the rod and said passageway'no'r mally being in angular offset relation to lock said rod against such sliding movement, said lever being movable to align the axes of the rod and passageway to eliminate such locking action and permit selective adjustment of the assembly.

8. The combination described in claim 7 in which said lever is a hollow tubular member and there is tension means in said tubular member bearingupon the axis of pivot of the lever and said rod biasing said rod to its unlocked position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,564,000 Koken Dec. 1, 1925 1,868,658 Emmert July 26, 1932 1,871,184 Kochs Aug. 9, 1932. 2,259,415 Eddy Oct. 14, 1941 2,601,889 Everest et a1. July 1, 1952 

